


Blue Flame of Beacon

by kingdomkey0



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist, RWBY
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comedy, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Drama, Gen, Intrigue, Mystery, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-04-22 09:16:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14305533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingdomkey0/pseuds/kingdomkey0
Summary: Rin wasn't sure what was worse in this new world: the shady adults, the weird students, the bizarre transforming weapons, or the homicidal demons called "Grimm." At least Kuro was here to keep him company.





	1. Interview

Ozpin almost dropped the cup of coffee in his hand. When the elevator doors opened, he was assaulted by one of the worst stenches he's ever encountered. Glynda stepped out with a disgusted frown on her face. Following her was the teenaged applicant. He wore a school uniform that Ozpin has never seen, neither from any combat school nor Huntsman Academy. The uniform was tattered and looked like it hadn't been washed in days. The kid had black hair, blue eyes, and a wide smile on his face. It was then that Ozpin noticed the weapon being carried on the kid's back. _He's too young to be a huntsman, yet there's no reason for an ordinary civilian to be armed like that_ Ozpin thought. He took another sip of coffee as the kid took his seat in front of Ozpin's desk. Glynda stood to Ozpin's right. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Okumura," Ozpin said.

"You can just call me Rin," the kid said.

"Very well then, Rin. I can assume you already know who I am," Ozpin said.

"Uh, yeah, you work for the headmaster several people quit on this week," Rin said. Ozpin raised his eyebrow, while Glynda coughed into her fist.

"You _are_ speaking to the headmaster of Beacon Academy. I would have expected you to be more formal," Glynda said.

"Oh, so you're the dude who runs this whole place," Rin said, ignoring Glynda's warning. She narrowed her eyes in him.

"Yes, that would be correct," Ozpin said. Glynda handed Rin's application to Ozpin. "So you're looking to join our kitchen staff?" Ozpin asked. Rin nodded. "You wrote 'Japan' for where you live. Is that a village outside the kingdom?" Ozpin said.

"Yeah, sure, let's go with that," Rin said.

"And you didn't list any references or emergency contacts," Ozpin said. Rin scratched the back of his head.

"Anyone I could've put down are either unreachable," Rin said,"or dead."

"I see. Grimm attacks outside of Vale are an unfortunately common occurrence. It must be tough being the sole survivor of your village," Ozpin said.

"Grimm? I mean, yes, it's been hard," Rin said.

"Your only work experience here is being the only cook in a dormitory. Let me guess, anyone who can verify this is unreachable or dead," Ozpin said.

"Yep," Rin said. Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose. Ozpin sighed.

"I am truly sorry to say this, but" Ozpin said. Before he could finish, Rin prostrated himself on the ground.

"Mr. Okumura!" Glynda said.

"Please. This is the fourth interview I've been on this week. I have nowhere to live and no lien. If you don't wanna hire me as a cook, fine. I'll be a janitor. Hell, I'll even be your personal assistant! Just please, I need a job here," Rin said. From Ozpin's position, he could see a part of Rin's tail sticking out of his pants. _So he's a Faunus_ Ozpin thought.

"As sympathetic as we are to your plight, we can't hire someone with little qualifications on a mere sob story. Right, Ozpin?" Glynda said. She was met with silence. " _Right_ , Ozpin?" Glynda said. Ozpin took a sip of his coffee and stared at the item on Rin's back.

"What kind of weapon do you have there?" Ozpin said.

"Huh?" Rin said as his head shot back up.

"I asked about your weapon," Ozpin said.

"Oh! It's a sword. It's name is Kurikara," Rin said.

"Is it alright if you could show it to me?" Ozpin said.

"Ozpin?" Glynda said. Rin untied the cover, and it fell to the ground. Both Ozpin and Glynda were hit by an immense, oppressive aura from the weapon. Glynda flinched, and reached for riding crop. Ozpin hid his fear at that moment beneath his best poker face.

"Whoa!" Rin said, seeing Glynda get into fighting stance, "let's calm down. I don't wanna fight anyone."

"Where did you get that sword?" Glynda asked.

"It was given to me," Rin said. He looked down at his feet. "By my late father. It was a bit of an emergency at the time." Rin put Kurikara back in its cover. Glynda relaxed. _There's more to the story of that weapon than he's letting on_ Ozpin thought.

"If you were working in the cafeteria, and one of our huntsmen in training were being attacked, what would you do?" Ozpin said.

"I'd try to help them," Rin said. Ozpin smiled.

"Glynda, I think Rin here will be fine addition to our staff," Ozpin said.

"Thank you!" Rin said. He bowed and said, "I won't let you down!"

"What?" Glynda said.

"Can you start working today?" Ozpin said.

"Yes!" Rin said.

"You can't be serious!" Glynda said.

"We don't really have any spare rooms with the new students coming in tomorrow, so we'll have to clean out one of the closets for you. I'll get Glynda to get the uniforms for your jobs," Ozpin said.

"Wait, jobs?" Rin said.

"Yes. Congratulations, Rin. You're my new cook, janitor, _and_ personal assistant," Ozpin said.

"Uh," Rin said.

"And if you make one mistake, we'll pack your stuff and you'll have to find a job somewhere else," Glynda said, pushing up her glasses.

"I think that's fair," Ozpin said.

"Uh," Rin said.

"Is there a problem." Ozpin said.

"Nope! No problems at all. Haha," Rin said.

"Wonderful! Do you have any questions?" Ozpin said.

"Just one," Rin said, "what's your policy on pets?"

* * *

"Here's your room," Glynda said. She opened the door to a small attic with a single twin-sized mattress, a dresser, and a single window. A set of sleepwear lay next to the mattress. "Being on such short notice, you'll have to sleep on the mattress until we can get everything you need later." Rin proceeded to jump on the mattress in delight.

"Oh bed, how I've missed you," Rin said.

"Your first shift starts 6AM tomorrow. The public showers are down the hall, and I _highly_ encourage you use them before the end of tonight," Glynda said. She pinched her nose.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Rin said, trying to push her out the room.

"One more thing," Glynda said, "I don't know what Ozpin was thinking when he hired you, but I'll trust his decision. Don't make me regret it."

"I won't," Rin said. Glynda closed the door behind her. Rin pressed his ear against the door and listened to her walk away. He waited a few seconds before running to and opening the window. The broken moon was high in the sky, shining on the building he was in. The only sounds were the crickets chirping. "Psst, Kuro!" Rin said. The bushes below rattled, before a black cat popped out and climbed the wall up to Rin's window. _Rin!_ Kuro thought.

"Sorry I took so long," Rin said. Kuro climbed onto his shoulders, and he closed the window. "Look, I'm not allowed to have you here, so you're going to have to stay in my room while I'm out working."

_Aw_ thought Kuro. Rin started to undress. Kuro jumped onto the end of the mattress. _Rin, when are we going home?_ Kuro thought. Rin paused. He looked out the window toward the fractured moon, the first thing he saw when he woke up in Vale.

"I don't know, Kuro," Rin said. He finished changing into his sleepwear and settled onto the mattress. Kuro crawled to the center of the mattress, and then nuzzled his head into Rin's stomach. Rin wrapped his arms around Kuro. "At least we'll finally get a decent night's sleep tonight."

* * *

_1 hour later_

Rin stood in front of Glynda's desk as she dumped a stack of papers on top. "Ozpin has just admitted a new student. This is the paperwork that has to be filled out. Since he's apparently _busy_ ," Glynda said, "and you're his PA, you'll have to help do it." Rin's hand met his face.


	2. Orientation

Rin yawned. "What's taking her so long?" He said. Rin stood outside his door in a white chef uniform, Kurikara on his back. He had bags under his eye. Kuro was stretching his legs on the mattress. He looked down at the watch that came with his new clothes laid outside his door. "It's 10 after 6," He said.

"Good morning, Mr. Okumura," a voice said in front of him. Rin jumped in surprise. His right hand reached for Kurikara on instinct. Kuro hid under the bed frame. Standing in front of Rin was an older man who looked to him even weirder than Shima. He had green, messy hair. He wore a white shirt, dark green pants, a big, thick set of glasses. He appeared to be shaking, holding a thermostat filled with what Rin presumed to be coffee.

"Sorry if I startled you. My name is Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck. I am one of the professors here at Beacon. Ms. Goodwitch is tied up right now and asked me to escort you to the dining hall in her place," the man said.

"Say that again?" Rin said, still mentally catching up after the false alarm.

"I will be escorting you instead of Ms. Goodwitch. Follow me," Oobleck said. He started to walk down the corridor, though it looked more like he was gliding. He was also leaving Rin behind.

"Wait up!" Rin said, chasing after Oobleck.

Oobleck started talking about the history of Beacon. Oobleck seemed to speak faster the more excited he was about a topic, considering how different he was a few minutes ago. Rin could barely understand a word Oobleck was saying. Rin tuned him out and took in the sights. Yesterday, he was too nervous to pay attention to his surroundings. Now, looking at the courtyard, Beacon had a beautiful campus. _Reminds me of when I first saw True Cross Academy_ Rin thought. _What would the other Exwires think of this place?_

"I know you haven't been here for very long," Oobleck said, jarring Rin back to reality.

"Less than a full day," Rin said.

"But how do you feel about Beacon so far?" Oobleck asked, talking over Rin.

"Uh, Beacon certainly looks nice. The work is, well, work," Rin said.

"What do you think of Ms. Goodwitch and Ozpin?" Oobleck said.

"Glynda can be a little scary," Rin said. He thought back to her words last night. "But she means well," Rin said.

"And Ozpin?" Oobleck said. Rin's right eye twitched as he thought about all the work he did overnight.

"He's certainly a character," Rin said. Oobleck laughed.

"That's not an uncommon reaction. Don't worry, you'll get used to him ," Oobleck said. Awkward silence followed for a minute before Oobleck spoke again. "So, who trained you to use your sword," Oobleck asked. Rin stopped in his tracks at the abrupt question.

"That's kind of a personal question, isn't it?" Rin said.

"I was curious. If you don't want to answer," Oobleck said.

"I don't," Rin cut him off.

"Very well then," Oobleck said, "though since we're on the subject, why are you bringing a sword to your kitchen duties?" Rin's eyes widened. _Crap! I grabbed it on instinct!_ Rin thought.

"Force of habit," Rin said.

"You're always armed wherever you go then?" Oobleck said.

"Never know when Dem-I mean Grimm will attack!" Rin said.

"A response I'd expect from a Huntsman a few years after graduating," Oobleck said. "Not someone who looks old enough to still be in combat school." _Whoops. Alright, think Rin. What was that B.S. backstory from yesterday?_ Rin thought.

"Well, you know, surviving a Grimm attack, it changes a man," Rin said.

"I guess so," Oobleck said. Rin let out a sigh of relief. Oobleck sipped from his mug. To Rin, Oobleck needed less caffeine, not more. "So you escaped directly to Vale after the attack?" Oobleck said. Rin growled.

"Again, getting a bit too personal there," Rin said.

"Sorry about that," Oobleck said, "ah, here we are." Rin looked forward and saw a tall building he assumed was the dining hall. He was about to walk through the doors when Oobleck placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, my office is always open," Oobleck said. Rin shrugged off his hand.

"I'll keep that in mind," Rin said.

* * *

Rin pushed open the kitchen doors. It was far more spacious than the kitchen in his and Yukio's dorm at True Cross. The equipment looked old and rusted. The walls and floor tiles, in contrast, looked almost sportless. A red-haired woman was wiping the same spot on a counter, trying to get a hard stain out. She turned around when the doors opened. Rin flinched at her icy glare towards him and Oobleck.

"Where's Ms. Goodwitch? I thought she was supposed to be meeting me now," the woman said.

"Ms. Goodwitch is busy at the moment," Oobleck said.

"Convenient," she said. She looked down at Rin. "Who is this?" She said.

"This is Rin Okumura. He will be helping you from now on," Oobleck said.

"He looks old enough to be a student," she said.

"You would be mistaken. He is _almost_ old enough to be a student," Oobleck said.

"I'm standing right here you know," Rin said. The woman looked behind the two of them.

"Don't tell me this _kid_ is the only one you've managed to hire within the time frame," she said. Oobleck coughed. "Starting tomorrow, we have to cook for hundreds of new and returning students. You expect just two people to handle that?" She asked.

"An unfortunate circumstance, but I believe in both of you!" Oobleck said, before he skittered out the kitchen. The woman clicked her tongue. She turned to Rin, who felt like her eyes were staring into his soul. He cleared his throat and then held out his hand to shake.

"I can't wait to work with you, uh? I don't think Oobleck mentioned your name," Rin said. She stared at his hand before looking back up at his eyes.

"My name is Terra Clove, and as long you work in my kitchen, I am master and commander. You will do what I say when I say. You will follow my recipes to the letter. If you screw up, I'll have you outta here faster than you can blink. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Rin said. Rin pulled his hand back.

"Good. Can you take a hit," Terra said.

"What?" Rin said.

"You'll be serving combat-trained teenagers who don't understand their own strength. It's not uncommon for the civilian staff to sustain injuries throughout the year," Terra said.

"Glynda didn't say anything about that when I got hired," Rin said.

"I doubt anyone would have. Why do you think there are so few civilians working here?" Terra said.

"I didn't notice. I thought everyone was busy," Rin said. Terra rolled her eyes.

"Let me show you around the kitchen, _kid_ ," Terra said.

"It's Rin," Rin said. He was met with silence.

* * *

"Thank you, Bart. I don't wish to take up more of your time," Ozpin said.

"It's not a problem. I'm always happy to help," Oobleck said. Ozpin watched the elevator doors close behind Oobleck.

"Mr. Okumura is definitely hiding something," Glynda said.

"Yes, and I'm sure this secret is connected to his sword," Ozpin said.

"Do you think he poses a danger to the students?" Glynda said.

"I don't think Rin has any intention of bringing harm to the students," Ozpin said.

"Do you think he poses a danger to _Amber_?" Glynda said.

"From what little we know now? No. We'll still keep an eye on him, though," Ozpin said.

"Should we let Qrow know?" Glynda said.

"Qrow is still investigating who attacked Amber. I don't want distract him based on a hunch," Ozpin said.

"I'll get back to work then," Glynda said. After she left, Ozpin looked at a folder on his desk. It contained all the information on Rin that could be found through Vale's CCT: none at all. No official records existed to show anyone named Rin Okumura had ever lived in Vale. If Rin had been in Vale for any significant length of time, he would have a paper trail. Meaning, Rin had survived the Grimm and migrated to Vale only very recently. He would have to look back on any news of villages falling to the Grimm within the last few weeks. Or only last week, going by what Rin said in the interview.

There was one other avenue to explore. _The boy's sword_ , Ozpin thought. He remembered the aura he felt from Kurikara. _Weapons shouldn't have souls. So how did his sword have an Aura?_

* * *

Shura Kirigakure barged into Mephisto's office. Junk food and papers littered his desk. Mephisto himself was leaning back in his chair, his head resting on his left hand. He wore the smuggest smile Shura had ever seen on him. "There's this concept called knocking," Mephisto said. Shura stood on his desk, knees bent, pressing Fang against his neck.

"Where is he?" Shura said.

"You're going to have to be more specific than that," Mephisto said.

"Don't play dumb. This reeks of yer doing," Shura said.

"As much as I would like to take credit for whatever it is you're accusing me of, I can assure you I am innocent," Mephisto said. He gestured toward a stack of papers on the right side of his desk. "I haven't even read Yukio's report yet."

"So you admit you know this has to do with the Okumura twins!" Shura said.

"Yukio was distracted earlier, and you're acting homicidal. It's not hard to guess," Mephisto said. "What's happened to Rin now?"

"I was asking you that!" Shura said.

"Ah, it all makes sense now," Mephisto said.

"Give me a reason to not to take yer head off," Shura said.

"You would have to explain to Vatican why you killed their best, _loyal_ asset. And you'll be hindering your ability to find Rin," Mephisto said. The two stared at each other in silence. After what felt like minutes, Shura clicked her tongue and removed her sword from his neck.

"Don't think this is over," Shura said. She turned her back and walked toward the exit. _What is going on here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally hoping to release this chapter on Thursday. The initial draft of this chapter was much more meandering. I had to do a lot of rewriting, cutting, and moving ideas I had planned to the next chapter.
> 
> The only staff members we are shown working at Beacon are Ozpin and three other teachers (Glynda, Port, and Oobleck), so I had to make an OC for a member of the non-teaching staff. As you probably tell from this chapter, I am not good with coming up with character names.
> 
> The next chapter will most likely come out Mid-April. Happy Easter!


	3. Off the Clock

The once empty school grounds was now bustling with new and returning students. Teenagers poured out of the bullheads, carrying weapons beyond the imagination. Some students knew or found out where to go and bee-lined for the auditorium. Others were not so lucky. A red-hooded girl and blonde knight would soon get lost following each other. But in the present, a certain human-demon hybrid was pushing his way through students.

"Excuse me."

"Hey!"

"Coming through."

"Watch it!"

"Sorry."

"Hmph!"

Rin had finished his kitchen training with Terra not long ago. He switched into his True Cross uniform minus the blazer. Rin thought back to his conversation with Oobleck earlier. Rin understood little about this world, and the role he was trying to play. As Rin made his way through the crowd of students, he wondered why he was even bothering with this whole charade. At best, they wouldn't believe him. "Hi, I'm from a parallel world," would have sounded crazy to him _before_ he got drawn into the world of exorcists. He doubt it would go any different here. At worst, he would be put in a mental asylum, waiting for Yukio and True Cross to come find him. That is, if it was even possible. Would the True Cross Order even want to find him? Thinking more on that question, he was reminded of a previous, even worse case scenario.

_Images flashed in Rin's mind of his trial with the Grigori. He remembered Arthur cutting off his foot to keep him from escaping. He remembered the debate about whether to execute him._

Rin shook his head. Keeping his secrets was better safe than sorry. And if he wanted to maintain the lie, there was one immediate problem Rin had to solve. Rin was working at a school that trained teens to hunt monsters called Grimm. His fake backstory involved Rin encountering the Grimm. The problem was that Rin _has never seen nor fought a Grimm before_. He had to get to his room, get Kuro, and fix that right away or else he might accidently blow his cover.

Rin was so focused on these thoughts, he didn't see where he was going.

"Watch out, Velvet!"

Rin smashed into another person. The two of them fell down, legs intertwined. Rin lifted his head. Below him was a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, and bunny ears?

"C-can you get off me?" said the girl.

"Oh!" Rin said. He untangled his legs and stood up straight. "I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where I going-" Rin said.

"No, I'm sorry! I was too distracted and didn't hear Coco's warning-" Velvet said.

"Which wouldn't have been needed if I wasn't rushing-", Rin said.

"I'm sure you have a reason to be in a hurry-" Velvet said.

"Alright, you're both sorry," said another voice. Rin looked around and saw three other people flank Velvet. The voice came from a brunette girl in a cocoa shirt. She wore a beret, sunglasses, shoulder bag, and to the perplexment of Rin, a belt lined with bullets. The buckle was a golden crosshair. Next to her was a man that looked to Rin as tall as a mountain. He wore a long green robe, armor on his left arm, and Rin could see a giant sword carried on the man's back. Finally, there was the third person, another male, who looked small relative to the other guy. He had dark skin, copper hair, and was wearing an orange vest. The girl in the beret was peeking at him above her sunglasses, her eyes looking at Rin in suspicion.

"Uh," Rin said, "I'm Rin. Rin Okumura."

"Velvet Scarlatina," Velvet said.

"Coco Adel, leader of Team CFVY," the other girl said. She pushed up her sunglasses.

"Yatsuhashi Daichi," said the tall man.

"Fox Alistair," said the other man.

"Nice to meet you all," Rin said, bowing. He turned to Coco. "Team Coffee?"

"First-year students like yourself who pass Initiation are grouped into teams of four. The team name is an anagram of the first letters of the members' names," Coco said. _They think I'm a student?_ An idea popped into Rin's head.

"So that would make you upperclassmen then?"

"Second year students," Coco said.

"Then you would know where to find some Grimm near Beacon?" Rin said. Coco raised an eyebrow. "You know, for practice and live experience."

"That's what missions in your second year are for," Yatsuhashi said.

"Gotta get a headstart on the competition," Rin said, scratching the back of his head. The team, except Coco, gave Rin confused looks.

"Look, if you wanna fight Grimm in your downtime, it's not my business," Coco said. Her mouth formed a smirk. "Emerald Forest is infested with Grimm. I'll give you directions, for a favor," Coco said.

"What kind of favor?" Rin said.

"Don't know. I'll let you know when I want to cash it in," Coco said. Rin's eyes flitted between Coco's smile, and Velvet gesturing to say "no."

"Deal," Rin said. Velvet dropped her arms.

* * *

_Are you sure you know where you're going?_

"Yes, Kuro. According what Coco told me, we should be in the middle of Emerald Forest," Rin said.

_But we've been walking for a few minutes now, and there hasn't been one of these 'Grimm' in sight!_

"Maybe they're sleeping?" Rin said.

_Really, Rin?_

"Well how am I supposed to know? I was raised as a normal human until recently. Why don't you know anything about these creatures?" Rin said.

_Because I'm only familiar with you & Shiro's side of Assiah._

"Different side? I thought we were on a different world than Assiah?" Rin said.

_Assiah is the material plane, where humans live. Gehennah is the demon plane, a mirror of Assiah. Remnant may be a different world than what you call 'Earth,' but both are a part of Assiah. Both are populated with humans, albeit with different technology._

"So I'm not on Earth anymore, but I'm still on Assiah," Rin said.

_Right!_

A noise interrupted them from behind. Rin grabbed Kurikara. Kuro leaped off of Rin's shoulders and stood in front of Rin. The bushes rustled. Kuro hissed. Out of the bushes, a hare popped out. Rin and Kuro relaxed.

_Why are we even out here, when you could just ask someone at the school?_

"Because we're trying to not to raise suspicion, everyone on this world already knows what a Grimm is," Rin said.

_And your sword hasn't already raised suspicions?_

"Mephisto and Shura warned me to not lose Kurikara. What am I supposed to do, leave it in my room? Someone could sneak in and steal it," Rin said.

_Not with me guarding it._

"It took me ten tries to wake you up when I got back," Rin said.

Suddenly, Rin heard an object fast-approaching him from behind. Rin flipped around and held his sheathe in front of him to block. A crow smacked him in the face and flew away. "Why is there a crow in the middle of a forest at night. Aren't they day animals or something?"

_Face it. We're not going to run into any Grimm tonight. I say we go back. You should play with me to make up for this._

Rin sighed. "I think you're right. Let's go," he said.

The bushes to Rin's right rustled. He heard a growl from the same direction. "Let me guess, stray dog," Rin said.

The source of the growl cleared the bushes. The figure looked like a werewolf, with pitch black fur. Rin could see a part of the creature's spine. Large bones jutted of its back. It moved with a slouch, its claws ready to pounce. A white and red wolf mask covered its face except for its yellow eyes.

A voice entered Rin's head. **I smell human-Ow!** The creature held its nose in pain. Rin pulled back his sheathe.

"Take that!" Rin said as he hit the creature again, "and that! And that!"

**I'll kill you!**

_Rin, I think that's one of the Grimm._

"Why do you think I'm hitting it!" Rin said.

**I'll make you cry in pain, you stupid human!**

"I am not stupid! I'll have you know others say I have above average intelligence," Rin said.

_Who?_

"Other people," Rin said.

**Wait, you understood what I said?**

"Yeah. I understood everything you've been saying so far," Rin said.

**We must take you to Salem!**

"Who?"

_Did he say "we?"_

The Grimm howled. Rin and Kuro heard growls all around them. A pack of Grimm who looked like the one in front of him stepped out of the shadows, surrounding them. Rin clutched his head in pain as several voices spoke in unison. **We must take you to Salem!**

"I think I'll pass," Rin said. One of the Grimm jumped at Rin, jaws opened wide. It bit down on Rin's arm, and dashed forward when it landed, dragging Rin along the ground. "Ouch!" Rin said as a branch hit his head. "Watch where you going! Ouch!"

The ground shook. Kuro grew until he was as tall as the forest. He smacked one Grimm after another, sending them flying between the trees. He turned toward the direction that Rin was taken. Kuro charged. _Don't worry, Rin. I'm coming!_

Against the rushing wind, Rin pulled his sword arm toward him. He stuck Kurikawa's handle in his mouth, holding the sword with his teeth. Rin slammed his now free hand onto the Grimm's head, and released his blue flames. The Grimm's head lit up on fire, and the fire then spread across its body. It cried in pain, releasing Rin, who tumbled across the ground. Kurikawa landed a feet away.

Rin lifted his head and saw he was in a clearing. The Grimm was running around on fire. Several of the bushes caught on fire. The screaming Grimm ignited the grass with every step. Rin grabbed Kurikawa. He was about to unsheathe his sword and finish it off, when a flying tree impaled it. The creature started to dissolve into black smoke, and the tree caught fire. Rin spun around.

"Glynda?" Rin said.

"Mr. Okumura," Glynda said, her voice cold as ice. As soon as she finished, a giant Kuro came from the trees. He saw Glynda and tried to halt his momentum. Glynda lifted her riding crop toward Kuro. As if by magic, Rin saw Kuro stop almost dead in his tracks. Kuro's face was only inches away from hers. "I see you've ignored our 'No Pets' policy," She said. Several trees caught on fire. Rin gave a halfhearted grin.

"Uh, I can explain?" Rin said. His face was tinted in blue light from the giant forest fire spreading around him.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am experimenting a little with the format to make Rin and Kuro's conversation smoother, and make their "conversation" with the Beowolf clear.
> 
> Next chapter probably will come out at the end of April/early May, depending on finals.


	4. Workplace Safety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross-posted here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12876835/4/Blue-Flame-of-Beacon

"What were you thinking!" said Glynda.

Rin was sitting on a bed in the infirmary. The nurse was bandaging his right arm, which had several giant bite marks on it. Rin didn't need the cast, but to keep his regenerative powers secret, he obliged.

"I wanted to go out for a walk," Rin said.

"In a Grimm infested forest!"

"I got lost."

"We hired you against our better judgement, and in no less than a day—"

"Day and a half."

"You have violated a simple rule"— she pointed at Kuro who was lying on his back next to Rin—"got your arm mauled by a Grimm"—she pointed at his cast—"and somehow set part of Emerald Forest _on fire_!"

"I think it's only fair to point out you threw a flammable object at a monster on fire. If anything, we both share—" Rin's left hand glowed, balled into a fist, and punched him in the face. Glynda put away her riding crop.

"He's here for one injury. Let's not make it two," the nurse said. Glynda nodded.

"And you," Glynda said as she turned to her side," haven't said anything!"

Ozpin was sitting down, sipping coffee from his mug in quiet bliss. To Rin's eyes, he didn't look like he cared at all.

"His actions, while destructive, did not hurt anyone else," Ozpin said.

"Right!" Rin said.

"And if not for the cat, this could have ended much worse."

_I like him_ , Kuro sent.

"You know, Kuro has experience guarding important places," Rin said. "I'm sure he can be of some help here. I'll take care of him, and you'll have a guardian pet free of charge."

"That sounds tempting," Ozpin said. He turned to Glynda and said, "Don't you agree?"

Glynda stared at the two men, dumbfounded. "You're not seriously going to let him off the hook are you?" she said.

"I didn't say that," Ozpin said. He turned back to Rin. "Regardless of your intentions, you caused a lot of trouble. We're lucky your fight didn't attract too many other Grimm," Ozpin said. Rin looked down at his lap. "We had to rent some bullheads to put the fire out. That came out of the school's budget—"

"Okay, I get it," Rin said.

"How about this deal? Until the end of the first term, you cannot leave Beacon grounds without a staff member with you," Ozpin said.

"So a chaperone?" Rin said.

"Yes," Ozpin said. He took another sip of his coffee.

"I'll take it," Rin said.

"Glynda?" Ozpin said.

She sighed. "I still think there's enough cause for termination, but I'll trust you," Glynda said. She glared at Rin. "Don't think of doing something like this again. We might not be so lenient next time," she said. Rin nodded his head. "Tomorrow morning, you will help Terra with breakfast. After Initiation and team assignments, the students will move into their new dorms. You'll clean the auditorium after they leave."

"Got it," Rin said.

Glynda and Ozpin walked out the infirmary. Soon, the nurse also finished his cast. "You'll need to wear that for at least 24 hours. I'll need to check back on you at this same time tomorrow night," the nurse said. His arm would probably heal in a few hours.

"I'll be here, Miss...?" Rin said.

"Hive," the nurse said, "get some rest Mr. Okumura."

He watched her leave, then fell back on the infirmary bed.

"That went better than I thought it would," Rin said.

_They know you caused the fire, but they didn't ask you how_ , Kuro sent.

"Now that you mention it, Kuro, that is a little weird,"

_Do you think they know the truth about you?_

"They would've been a lot less friendly if that were the case." Rin paused. "...Glynda has that power that let's her float things."

_Telekinesis_

"Maybe they think the blue fire is also some sort of special power like hers."

_It's an explanation that makes sense._

"Which means we're in the clear. They don't suspect a thing."

* * *

At a bar out in Vale, Qrow was on his fourth drink when his Scroll beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw the sender was Ozpin. The message had two video files. "Let's see what we have here," Qrow said to himself. He started the first video. He recognized it came from a hidden camera footage in the Emerald Forest. At the center of the footage was a kid with black hair - presumably a student - carrying a sword. He appeared to be talking to his cat. Weird, but it was not the strangest habit he'd seen a huntsman have before.

The boy didn't know how to use his sword, if bashing the Beowolf with his sheathe was anything to go by. "Yeah. I understood everything you've been saying so far," the boy said the video. Was he still talking to his cat? More Beowolves stalked into view, and Qrow noticed something strange. In Qrow's time as a huntsman, the Grimm were mindless. Here though, the rest of the pack was acting uncharacteristically coordinated. They even _growled in unison_.

One of the Beowolves proceeded to grab Rin by one of his arms and drag him off-screen. Qrow's mind clicked. This entire time, the Grimm was not attacking him, and now, they were trying to _kidnap_ him? This revelation had some serious implications about the Grimm. But before that, what was so special about the kid that would make the Grimm want to kidnap him?

The cat left behind by the student grew humongous in size. Looked like Zwei was not the only pet with its aura unlocked. This cat even had some sort of size-changing Semblance!

The video stopped, and Qrow opened the other file. It showed an empty clearing at first. A Beowolf charged in, the one dragging the student. He had his sword in his mouth now for some reason. Yet he, still didn't pull his sword. Yep, definitely doesn't know how to use it. The kid touched the Beowolf with his hand and lit it on fire. There were only two people Qrow knew had fire-related semblances. One was his niece. The other was one of the people who attacked Amber.

Qrow leaned back his chair. He had a lot of questions for the mystery kid. Questions, Qrow decided, he was going to ask in person. "Waitress!" Qrow said. A young woman walked up to his table. "I'll take another one for the road," Qrow said, lifting his glass.

* * *

The next morning, the school had an air of anticipation. Students were waking up and bustling around campus. The first-years were preparing for Initiation. Rin had arrived at the dining hall through the back door Terra showed him during orientation. "What happened to you?" Terra said, looking at his cast.

"I, uh, fell down some stairs?" Rin said.

Terra rolled her eyes. "I've already started frying pancakes and bacon. Go unlock the main doors and I'll give you instructions when you get back," Terra said, handing him a key. Rin occupied his thoughts with the surprise that the food here seemed to be the same as back home. Once he reached the main doors, Rin turned the key, opened the left door—

And was smacked in the face by a black and red blur. His eyes were now staring at the ceiling lights.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! Are you hurt? Oh no, you're already hurt! I made it worse!" a voice said. Rin raised his head and saw a young girl next to him. She had black hair with red tips and wore a red hood. His eyes met her silver eyes. A shiver flowed down his spine, though he did not know why.

"I'm fine," Rin said, holding his head in pain. He looked forward and saw a trail of rose petals leading out the door. Did she track them on her shoes?

"You don't look fine! Ugh, this is second time I've ran into someone here! I bet you're going to yell at me too."

"I'm _fine_. It was an accident. I'm not going to yell at you."

"Really?"

"Yes," Rin said. The girl turned her back to him and, from what Rin could tell, pumped her fist up and down. She turned back around and smiled as if nothing happened. "Okay...I'm Rin Okumura," he said. He tried to get up with one hand. He slipped, but the girl caught him.

"I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose," the girl said as she helped pull him up.

Rin's eyes twitched. "You're _that_ Ruby? The one who got into Beacon early?" And who's the reason he had to stay up helping Glynda, he remembered.

"Y-yeah. I didn't realize I was that famous," Ruby said, not meeting his eyes.

"I didn't expect you to be that much shorter than me."

Ruby pouted. "Well, you won't be thinking about my height when you see me and Crescent Rose at Initiation." Who's Crescent Rose?

"I would hold you to that, if I could watch this 'Initiation.'"

Ruby shot him a confused look. "Aren't you participating?"

"I'm not a student" — Rin pointed to his uniform — "I work here."

"Oh. Oh! I'm sorry—"

"Don't be. People here have made that mistake before." Which worked out to his advantage so far.

"So..." Ruby said. She twiddled her thumbs, and looked down at her feet. "S-so what kind of weapon do you have?"

"What?"

Ruby smacked her forehead. "You probably don't have a weapon. You work as a chef here, right?"

"And janitor, and the headmaster's assistant." Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Long story," Rin said," and I do own a sword."

Ruby looked as if Rin gave her a Christmas present. She said, "can I see it?"

"Uh, it's nothing special. It's only a sword."

"I can always appreciate the classics."

"You'll find it boring."

"Weapons are never boring! They can say a lot about the person who wields them." Kurikawa would say a lot about him he would rather she not know. "Please!"

"Look—"

"Ahem."

Rin turned around to see Terra, standing with her arms folded. "Right! I gotta get back to work," Rin said. He mouthed a 'thank you' to Terra, causing her to scratch her head in puzzlement. He turned back to Ruby and gave her a big toothy smile. "I'll see you later, maybe," he said.

"Uh, yeah. And you better show me your sword!" Ruby said. Her face then showed a tint of pink.

After Rin stepped through the kitchen doors, he let out a deep breath. That was too close for comfort. He looked back through the door windows. A tall blonde girl was saying something to Ruby, which was causing her to blush more. Rin guessed she was a close friend. He then started rubbing the back of his neck. When he said his goodbye to Ruby, he looked into her eyes again, and for a moment the cold feeling returned to his bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote the scene the scene between Rin and Ruby 3-4 times, and I still don’t if I fully got the characterizations right. I also realized I may have wrote Velvet more like Pyrrha last chapter. Some feedback on that thought, and constructive criticism in general, is welcome.  
> Greer123: I’ll admit this isn’t the first RWBY fanfic to have its protagonist be able to talk to Grimm before (there’s Beacon’s Exorcist by Discarab, a D.Gray-man x RWBY crossover, where I first read this; White Sheep, a really hilarious fanfic by Couer Al’Aran). I will say that the purpose of its inclusion is going to be more for comedic potential.  
> I do want to thank you, SilentXD7, Gojosin, cloud-chan27, and Barto club member143714 for my first reviews.  
> Next chapter I’ll try to get out around the 10th of May. I been attempting to go for an every other Thursday schedule with this fic, but finals are coming up, so it may get delayed.


	5. Interpersonal Relations

Ozpin was leaning back in his chair, basking in his view of Beacon's campus. The steam from his coffee was hitting his nostrils. The familiar scent relaxed his nerves. For a brief moment he didn't have to think about Salem, the Fall Maiden, or the school. Everything felt calm and peaceful.

The doors slid open. Ozpin heard the click-clack of Glynda's heels against the ground. He rotated his chair around and gave her a warm smile. "Glynda," Ozpin said.

"What happened to _I don't want to distract him based on a hunch_?" Glynda said. Ah, she got his message.

"I had reason to believe we now needed Qrow's expertise on the matter."

"And what did he say?"

"Qrow believes it's possible Rin has a connection to the people who attacked Amber." Glynda's eyes hardened.

"How possible?"

"It could be a coincidence the Grimm tried to kidnap him instead of trying to murder him at first sight. He could have an unrelated fire-based semblance. Would you have me take the chance?"

Glynda sighed. "No. Still, I thought you were the one who had the most trust in him."

"I'm merely taking the proper precautions. Don't you find him a little strange."

"Strange is putting it mildly."

"And if Qrow looks into it and finds nothing unusual, we can rest easy. I'll focus on finding the next candidate for the Fall Maiden."

"I see." Glynda shoulders fell, and she looked more relaxed.

"Now, I believe we have some students to launch off a cliff."

* * *

Terra's eyes were twitching. "What do you mean we're already out of pancake batter?"

Rin felt the room get a little hotter. "Well, there was this freshman girl, and this guy she was dragging around, and the two of them ate more than half the first batch-"

"Stop. You mean to tell me we're reaching a shortage because of only two teenagers?"

"The guy only had a couple, so it was more like the work of one teenager."

She shot him an incredulous look. "From what you've said of the Beacon students so far, is this really the most ridiculous thing you've heard?"

"...no. Unfortunately, no." Terra turned her back to him. He could hear her mumbling. He made out "Ozpin," and "understaffed," and a string of words he didn't know but guessed were curses on Remnant. She spun back around. "I'll be back with more supplies. Don't break any other limbs while I'm gone."

"Trust me, I couldn't do it even if I tried."

Terra looked at him, looked at his cast, then looked back at his eyes. She walked away, mumbling to herself again. He wasn't sure, but he thought he caught the word "idiot."

"Excuse me?" Another new student had walked up to the counter. Rin smiled, though it was becoming harder as it got closer to noon. Cooking for everyone at the church back home was one thing. Cooking for a large, constant crowd for hours was another. Something he loved was becoming a little monotonous. And that was before getting into the students he served.

Not all the freshmen were bad. There was that one redhead in the Greek-looking armor. She was polite. But it was clear some of the new students were overconfident they would pass Initiation. Even though they didn't know what Initiation was going to entail. Even though they couldn't do more than speculate about team formation. They still walked and talked like they owned the place.

Rin saw a pair of bunny ears walking behind the line. "Velvet!" His friend flinched. Several students turned their attention to her. Rin noticed the scowls sent in her direction. He sent her a smile, the first genuine one in the last hour. "It's good to see you again," Rin said.

"I-it's good to see you too," Velvet said, looking at the ground. "How did you get that injury?"

"Oh! I fell down some stairs."

For a brief instant, she looked directly at him, her face scrunched in disbelief. Then it passed as quickly, and she gave him a half-hearted smile. "That sounds painful," she said with the emotion of a piece of cardboard. "But I didn't know you also worked here? I didn't think Beacon offered part-time jobs to first-years."

Rin raised an eyebrow, before he remembered he had pretended to be a student when he last talked to CFVY. "Y-yeah, Ozpin made an exception for me. He can be generous like that, haha," Rin said, scratching back of his head.

"Well, I thought for sure Beacon had a no pets policy," a new voice said.

Velvet's ears stood straight. Rin growled under his breath as he turned to the source of the voice. It was a dark-orange haired boy with a smirk on his face. The first thing to catch his eye was the golden bird. The insignia stretched across his chest armor. It reminded Rin of a phoenix rising. The boy's body armor was silver-grey, with a golden lining. Looked expensive. "But I'm sure this school will kick out all the strays eventually," the boy said.

"Hey!" Rin said. Everyone looked at Rin, who proceeded to _vault_ over the counter using his left arm and walk up to the boy. "I don't like you talking about my friend like that."

"Rin!" Velvet said.

"Oh, it looks like we have an animal lover here," the boy said.

Rin clenched his left fist. His eyes darted between the teenagers around him. Why wasn't anyone doing anything? "Say it again. See what happens," Rin said.

The boy leaned in. "Animal lover," he said. Rin stepped forward. Cocked his fist backward. He twisted his waist, aiming for the boy's face.

"Mr. Okumura!" Rin stopped. He saw Glynda standing nearby, arms crossed. "Glynda?"

"I hope my glasses are foggy and I didn't see you almost assault a student."

"Nope! I mean yes, I'm not hitting anyone." Rin hid his fist behind his back.

The boy smirked. "And I hope I'm not seeing you smiling, Mr. Winchester. You must understand how bad it looks for a huntsman in training to start a fight on the first day."

"N-no, ma'am!"

"Good. Now why are you all standing around? If you're a first-year, you have 30 minutes to get ready and be at the Emerald Forest. Move." The students had started dispersing. Winchester walked past Rin, neither of them losing eye contact.

"Thanks," Rin said to Glynda. To his surprise, Glynda had a cold, distrusting look on her face.

"You are an employee who represents Beacon through every action you take. You should act like it."

As Glynda walked out the dining hall, Rin caught a glimpse of Ozpin through the doors. The headmaster was staring at him. It felt creepy. Ozpin's emotions were unreadable. They've almost always been unreadable since the moment Rin met the man.

Rin decided to push those thoughts away for now and focus on his friend. "Can you believe that guy - Velvet?" Rin said. His friend had disappeared from sight.

* * *

Terra returned. Lunch was a lot better than breakfast, since a chunk of the student body was out in the Emerald Forest. The auditorium was a mess after the teams were announced, but Rin managed to survive the day. Now he sat in the infirmary doing what he's been waiting for all day. "All done," Ms. Hive said, removing the last of the bandages around Rin's arm. "It's strange. I thought you had not unlocked your Aura, or had small Aura reserves, considering the state of your arm yesterday. I expected your arm to have been partially healed after a full day, not fully healed without any kind of scarring."

"That is strange. I guess I heal pretty fast, right. Oh look at the time! I have to go!" Rin bolted out the door and closed it behind him. He leaned against the door and slid down to the floor. He forgot how his regeneration would make his healed arm look. Rin wondered how Shima made lying look so easy.

He frowned. An image of Yukio, Shura, his fellow Exwires appeared in Rin's mind. He thought of the group photo they took in Kyoto. He remembered the time they spent together solving True Cross's seven mysteries. He missed everyone. He even missed the times him and Bon were in each other's faces arguing. He missed...

Sheimi's face flashed in his mind. Rin blushed, thinking about their recent conversation.

_"I'm so sorry! I'm not ready for love yet. I'm way behind everyone else...and not nearly good enough! So...I'm sorry!"_

_"...We're friends, just like before!"_

Rin sighed. "Is something wrong?" someone said.

Rin looked up to see Ruby standing next to him. He looked away. "Nothing. I'm thinking about my friends back home," Rin said.

He heard movement, and turned to see Ruby sitting down next to him. "I miss my friends back home too. I was actually writing a letter to them earlier. If you want, I can send a letter from you when I send mine."

"That's alright. A letter couldn't reach them anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"They...they're in a far away place. Too far away."

When he didn't get a response, Rin turned to look at her. He saw her - _his spine shivered, Kurikawa vibrated_ \- silver eyes, which were getting a little teary. "I'm so sorry! I was trying to help. I didn't mean to bring up memories of dead friends."

"What? No! They're not dead!"

"Huh?"

"They're only somewhere too far away to receive a letter!"

"Where in Remnant could they be that couldn't be reached by the CCT or postal service?"

"Uh...a village outside the kingdom?"

"I guess? I mean, my hometown, Patch, is on a separate island off the coast. Even that's still reachable."

"It's complicated?"

She tapped her chin. "Okay. I won't press this if you don't want to talk about it."

Rin sighed in relief. "So, why are you over here anyways?" Rin said, trying to change the subject.

Ruby started playing with her thumbs. "You see, I was on my way to the kitchen..."

* * *

Rin pulled the pan out the oven. The cookies were soft and gooey. He could hear them sizzling. Ruby was somehow already next to him, eyes sparkling. A little drool was hanging off the bottom of her mouth. "Wait. They're still hot. You don't want to burn your tongue," he said.

"Right." Her shoulders slumped.

"It'll only be a couple minutes."

"Too long."

"...you really like cookies."

"I've eaten them for lunch and dinner many times before."

"That's not healthy."

"Ugh, you sound like Yang."

"I'm guessing she's your older sister."

"Uh-huh."

"Sounds like my brother Yukio." Except that Yukio was his _younger_ brother. Yukio had always been the more mature of the two of them. Rin frowned, remembering the times he spent with Yukio, and wondering what his brother up to. Did Yukio know what happened. Did he miss his older brother? Would they see each other again?

"Maybe you and Yukio can see each other during the break."

"Wha? I didn't say-"

"It was all over your face."

"Oh. Well, that's complicated too."

"Maybe you're seeing things as more complicated than they are."

If there was a simpler way to deal with parallel worlds on the same plane, he was all ears. "I'm confident my life is not that simple."

"Then let your friends help you make it simpler."

"Huh?"

"Me, Yang, everyone here are training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses. Our job is to help people. I don't understand your situation, but I'm willing to be there for you if you ever need it. We all are."

The two stood in silence for what felt like minutes. Finally, Rin laughed. Ruby pouted. "I was being serious!"

"If I ever need help, I'll come to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The two smiled at each other. "Actually," Rin said, "there is one thing I could use your help with right now."

"Oh? What's that."

"I, uh, have this friend. He is...entering a combat school, and wanted to get a headstart on learning about Aura."

"Oh! I could talk to him for you!"

"He's on another continent. How about you tell me what you know and I'll relay it to him."

"Okay! Aura is…"

* * *

Kuro watched as his master banged his head against the wall of their room over and over again. _:What are you doing, Rin?_ Kuro sent.

_:I could have attempted to pass off my regeneration as Aura from the start. I could have avoided wearing a cast for the entire day,_ Rin sent.

_:Oh._

"Be quiet! People are trying to sleep," a voice from the other side of the wall said.

"Sorry! I'll berate myself in silence."

"I don't care!"

Rin fell backwards. He stretched his arms out and stared at the ceiling. Kuro crawled onto his chest and curled up in a ball.

_:Hey Kuro._

_:Mmm._

_:Is there something special about demons and silver eyes?_

Kuro let out a piercing wail. He dug the tips of his claws into Rin's chest. "Ouch!" Rin yelled.

Kuro crawled forward. He grabbed Rin's face with his claws. He looked Rin in the eyes. _:Where have you seen silver eyes?_

"I swear if you don't keep quiet, I'm gonna come over there and freeze you till morning!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter took way longer to come out than I had planned. At first, the delay was due to finals and real life stuff. But then I wasn't satisfied with what I had originally written for this chapter, and decided to scrap most of it and start over. The re-encounter with Velvet and the infirmary scene were completely retooled from the first draft. I admit, I also had some brief problems with motivation for writing this chapter, which is more of an in-between chapter where the big plot events occur before and after it. Though I doubt in the future this will cause any more month-long waits.
> 
> The bright side is that I have a lot of the future chapters planned out now, instead of a haphazard list of future ideas/plot-points. And chapters will be getting longer, as you may have been able to tell by the rising word count every release.
> 
> As of this chapter, I have settled on how telepathic communication is going to be formatted for now on.
> 
> Lastly, I'm planning in the future on rewriting this fic. This will most likely be after this fic covers the RWBY Volume 1 timeline (the first semester). Where the story is going now is different from where I thought the story was going when I wrote chapter 1 and 2. Certain ideas have been dropped over time, and the early chapters need to be written to stay consistent with the current/later ones.
> 
> I'm aiming for releasing chapter 6 around July 5, or the 6-8 latest. I'll try not to end up with a mini-hiatus again.


	6. Warnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've updated the story description to now have a spoiler warning. While we're not quite there yet, this fic is going to eventually spoil a lot from the Blue Exorcist manga. I suggest you have read at least up to 83 for now, if you care about spoilers.

"Kuro! You're hurting me!" Rin said.

_:Oh! Sorry,_ Kuro sent. He retracted his claws from Rin's chest and stepped back. Rin sat up.

_:I've only ever encountered their clan once, before I became Shirō's familiar. True Cross Order had recruited them in its early days. The silver-eyed clan had Meisters in both Knight and Dragoon classes. They were fanatic with exorcising demons, bloodthirsty even. I barely escaped an encounter with one when I was possessing a different body ages ago. Their numbers dwindled over time. Then the Blue Night happened, and what remained was killed by Satan possessing them. Why are you asking about them?_ Kuro sent.

_:Are you sure all of them died the Blue Night?_ Rin sent.

_:Yeah, why?_

_:Cause there's a girl who goes here who has silver eyes._

Kuro shivered. _:You should stay away from her. If she finds out about your blue flames..._

_:She doesn't seem like a bloodthirsty demon killer._

_:It could be trick._

_:I think you're overreacting._

_:I'm trying to watch out for you._

_:Well, maybe this time, you don't have to._

_:Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you._

Kuro jumped to the other side of the bed and curled into a ball. Rin fell backwards, folding his arms behind his head.

Kuro was being paranoid, right? There was no way Ruby was going to kill him.

Right?

Rin felt a lump in his throat. He ignored it and closed his eyes.

At least he was going to get a good night's sleep for tomorrow.

* * *

_1 hour later_

Glynda dropped the stack of papers on her desk. "Renting the bullheads from the city to put out the fire in Emerald Forest require a ton of paperwork and red tape. I _thought_ Ozpin was taking care of this, until I found this stack hidden under his desk. Since you are his PA-"

"I have to do it," Rin said. Glynda started to make her to the door. "You're not helping this time?"

"I have...other things to attend to," Glynda said before she stepped out.

* * *

"So what should Kuro be looking for exactly?" Rin said.

"Anything suspicious, out of the ordinary," Ozpin said.

"Okay. What counts as _ordinary_ here?" Rin said. His eyes widened. "N-not that I don't know what's ordinary life here in Vale! Haha. I...don't have a lot of experience at huntsmen academies. That's it."

Ozpin sipped his mug and gave Rin that unreadable smile Ozpin always seemed to have on his face.

"I'm sure that over time, this place won't seem so alien to you."

"Yeah, I guess. So do you want Kuro to be in normal cat size or in his giant form when he's guarding?"

"What would you suggest?"

"A giant Kuro could be more intimidating.." As if on que, Kuro grew several sizes. Students walking by stared at the trio, with one student running into a lamppost.

"Where did you find a cat with such a semblance. Or did you give your cat Aura?"

"He was my Dad's fam-pet first." _:I almost called you a familiar. Do they even have familiars here?_

_:Why would I know?_

"He never told you?"

"No, and that's all I know." Rin glared at Ozpin.

"I was curious."

"Is everyone who works here like that?"

"Well, this is a school after all?"

The True Cross staff wasn't this nosy. Then again, they did already know about Satanic heritage. "Don't you have somewhere to be right now?"

"Huh? Oh, kitchen! See ya Kuro!" Rin waved as he ran away.

* * *

Out of range of Kuro, Ozpin walked toward the courtyard when Glynda caught up to him.

"Ozpin? We have hidden cameras around campus. Why do we need a giant cat at the entrance of the school?" Glynda said.

"You're saying you wouldn't have been intimidated a giant beast when you were attending Beacon?" Ozpin said.

"Ozpin."

The headmaster smiled. "I don't any harm in humoring them for now."

"We're humoring the potential Salem accomplice?"

"We're keeping him thinking we're not onto him."

"I see," Glynda said. Ozpin looked around him. He really took in view of the courtyard for the first time in a long-

"Is what I would say if I didn't think this also gave you the opportunity to offload your responsibilities."

Now what makes you say-"

"You are walking in the _opposite_ direction of your office."

Ozpin cleared his throat. "Oh, look at the time. I would love to continue this chat, but I have some important tasks to complete," he said as he flipped around and walked toward his office.

"I wouldn't want to take up your time," Glynda said.

* * *

"I'm telling ya. The clown-looking bastard has _something_ to do this. And isn't it a coincidence that his spy has stopped showing up to class around the same time. Are you listening to me, Yukio?"

First, it was bad enough discovering the Illuminati's artificial Gehenna Gates. But then Rin and Kuro disappeared. He couldn't have been taken from here, within Mephisto's barrier. Did he run away? Did this have something to do with what happened at...? No, that doesn't fit him. Rin has bulldozed his way through problems head on since he first enrolled in True Cross. Rin was an idiot of a brother, but he wasn't a coward. Unlike...

_"_ _I can give you the power you need."_

"Hey, Yukio."

Yukio was interrupted from his thoughts by a hand waving in front of his face. He spun to his left to see Shura, reminding him he wasn't alone in his and Rin's room.

"Sorry. I was lost in thought. What were you saying again?" Yukio said. Shura gave him a look. "Is there something on my face?" Yukio said.

Shura sighed, and then sat down next to him on the cot. "Hey, ya know you can talk to me, right? You don't have to deal with this alone."

"I'm hanging in there fine. You should be more worried about Rin. Wherever he is."

"So there's nothing ya need to tell me?"

_"You're weak."_

_"After all, you aren't all that strong in the heart."_

"I'm sure. So what happened again?"

"Arthur called for a meeting between senior exorcists and above for Mephisto to explain the disappearance of the _weapon_."

"I'm guessing Mephisto was cryptic and dodged questions."

"Yes, about what could be expected. The weird part was that _Arthur_ didn't give much push-back against Mephisto."

Yukio raised an eyebrow. "Arthur?"

"You're sure?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. The meeting felt like a formality instead of an interrogation.

"Which means either Arthur doesn't really care-"

"-and Arthur would care about the _spawn of Satan_ vanishing-"

"or he and Mephisto know something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed the deadline by a large margin, again. Whoops. I apologize for both the shorter length and slightly subpar editing. I kinda just wanted to get this chapter done and released. I also apologize for next chapter being short as well, though that will be due where I want cut off the story before [REDACTED] happens.
> 
> Also, I am now going to be looking for a beta reader for this fic. I just need someone to help ease the burden of proofreading/revision.
> 
> Next chapter I am aiming for either August 9th or August 16th the latest.


	7. Meeting the Clientele

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> August 9th or August 16th the latest
> 
> *Looks at date, sees its October.*
> 
> Well, that plan failed.
> 
> I had taken almost a week-long break from thinking about the fic. When I came back, I had a massive bout of writer's block. I tried to start this chapter a few times over the last couple months, but always got stuck, until recently when I thought of the characters meeting in this chapter at 6 in the morning. During these months without update, I got a bunch of new ideas for where to take the fic. This chapter is partially reflective of that, as this is not what I originally planned for chapter 7. On the bright side, for those who waited long, I think this is the longest chapter of BFoB I've written so far.
> 
> I've also decided that while there are couple aspects of the earlier chapters I no longer like, I won't be doing the rewrite until after I finish this fic. I don't want to start over and then never complete this thing, because of my rampant inner critic.
> 
> I forgot to write this before, in part because I thought it was implicit, but I do not own Blue Exorcist nor RWBY.

Rin's stomach growled as he walked toward the dining hall. _Terra won't be mad if I just make a tiny snack for myself, right?_ He shivered. _What she won't know, won't hurt her._ He paused when he noticed there was a light on behind the door windows. _There shouldn't be anyone else here this late at night._ He pushed open the double doors. They made a creaking sound as they parted. Rin peaked inside. The tables were deserted. He heard something drop on the floor to his left. An onion rolled out from underneath the kitchen door, where the light from earlier was coming from. Rin walked over and picked up the onion, only to be smacked by the kitchen door opening.

"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?"

_I'm gonna get a concussion by the time I leave this world_. Rin clutched his head. He looked up and saw...snow? His vision cleared up and he could now make out a girl with snow white hair in a white dress. "How many fingers am I holding up?" She said.

"Two, and I'm fine," Rin said. The girl held out her dainty hand. He grabbed it, and she helped pull him up with ease. "Thanks."

"It was my fault anyways."

"So, what are you doing here this late at night?"

The girl was taken aback by his question and began fiddling with her fingers. "I, uh, didn't want to disturb my teammate," she paused, "team leader, who was studying on her own. So I decided to study outside our dorm room." Right then, the girl's stomach growled. " _After_ I got myself something to eat." She sent him an accusatory look on her face. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Similar reasons. I was going to make myself a late night snack as well." Her shoulders slouched and her face eased up.

"Right. I should have expected you were here for the same thing. I really must be exhausted tonight."

"Eh, it's pretty late right now. I'm sure even Ozpin makes mistakes at this time of night."

* * *

"Checkmate," Ozpin said. Professor Oobleck sighed.

"That would be win number three tonight," Oobleck said.

"Don't be too down, Bart. I'm sure I'll get tired and make a mistake eventually." Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "That's strange. I don't remember my coffee tasting so...rough."

"That's because you're drinking from my thermos."

_Oh_. "I meant to do that. They say you can tell a lot about a person by their choice in coffee."

"I've never heard that saying before."

"It's quite common in Vacu-is that fire dust I'm tasting."

"Well, it's a thermos that's also a torch. It's not gonna light on fire from the bottom."

Ozpin spat out the coffee.

* * *

"Here's a deal. I won't tell kitchen workers we were here if you won't," the girl said.

_I am one of the-oh right, I probably look like a student right now_. "Deal," Rin said. "I'm Rin, Rin Okumura."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the girl said as she curtsied.

After a few minutes, Rin and the girl sat opposite each other at one of the tables. A single ceiling light illuminated them. The girl had made herself a small salad. Rin had a sandwich in front of him. "So, I never got your name."

The girl stopped her movements and gave him a confused look. "You don't know who I am?"

"What, are you famous or something?"

"You're joking," she said. He shook his head. "You're not joking," she said. The girl sighed. "I'm Weiss Schnee." Rin gave a half-hearted smile. "As in Schnee Dust Company." Silence. "The largest supplier of Dust in all of Remnant!"

"Oh! That Schnee! Haha." _Who the fuck buys dust?_ "How much money does a company selling dust make anyway?"

"Not dust, Dust!"

"..."

"The crystal that's used in everything!"

"Wow, technology here is really advanced to be powered by du-I mean Dust! Of course! I know everything about...that."

Weiss had a disgusted look on her face. "Do you not have electricity where you're from? What kind of backwater village did you crawl out of?"

"Hey! Just because you're from some big company doesn't mean you can be so damn rude, princess!"

"Princess!" Weiss slammed her hand on the table. "First off, I'm an heiress."

"Wooh, Big distinction there."

"Second off, how are you training to be a Huntsman without knowing what Dust is?"

"He's not."

Rin and Weiss turned to see Terra standing next to them. "Hey Terra. Uh, fancy meeting you here," Rin said.

* * *

Terra was escorting the two back to the student dorms. Terra stood in front while Rin and Weiss kept pace behind her, refusing to look at each other. The three walked in awkward silence until Terra spoke. "Just this once, I won't inform Glynda," Terra said. Rin and Weiss let out a sigh of relief. "I won't be as accommodating next time." A shiver went down the two teens' spines. "Here we are," Terra said as she stopped in front of the student dorms. "Don't sneak into the kitchen at night again."

"Understood," Weiss said.

Once Terra left, Rin and Weiss walked next to each other quietly. Rin tried to think of what to say, but Weiss beat him to it. "I," she sighed, "I may have overreacted a bit."

"A bit?"

"Look, I'm trying-"

"I'm kidding," Rin held his hands up in mock defeat. "I may have overreacted a bit too."

"Let's start over. I'm Weiss Schnee."

"Rin Okumura," Rin smiles a big toothy grin at her.

"So, why did you lie about being a student?"

"I didn't lie. I just didn't bother to correct you. And I didn't really want to burst your bubble when you thought you were pulling one over the kitchen staff."

"Now that you mention it, how _does_ someone as young as you get a job here at Beacon? I would have expected you to still be in combat school."

"Don't students enroll here at 17? I'm only a year younger than you."

"A year too young to be here, as far as I'm considered. And you still haven't answered my question."

Rin scratched the back of his head. "I only came to Vale recently. My money turned out to be no good here. As I was going to be staying here for a while, I needed lien in order to eat and crash somewhere, which means I needed a job. I tried to get a job elsewhere, but..."

* * *

"Read the sign" The gruff man said. Rin looked to the man's left and saw in big bold letters, "No Faunus Allowed."

"I'm not a Faunus or whatever," Rin said.

The man said nothing and pointed to Rin's waist. Rin looked down and realized he had his demon tail out. In the blink of an eye he stuffed it back in his pants. "I have no idea what you're pointing to." The man raised an eyebrow. "Look," _he only saw my tail, that's not enough to connect me to Satan_ , "my demon blood won't be a problem-"

"No exceptions," the man said. He slammed the door shut.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but we were looking for someone with more experience."

Rin's shoulders slumped.

* * *

"...someone with more verifiable experience."

Rin fell back in his chair.

* * *

Rin walked in-

"Stop. Turn around and don't come back until you've taken a shower."

* * *

"We were hoping for a candidate younger and cheaper."

"Younger? I'm 16. Is it even legal here to hire someone younger than me?"

"You think with humanity on the brink, the kingdoms are going to be strict with labor laws?"

"I guess not?"

* * *

"What am I gonna do?" Rin said.

Rin leaned back on the bench. Kuro crawled from his shoulder to his lap. As Rin looked to his right, he saw a sign posted on the window he was leaning against. "Beacon: Help Wanted."

* * *

"...and here I am," Rin said. He finished recounting his tale, leaving out that he had a tail. "As for why I'm not in combat school, I, uh, didn't have an opportunity to attend one back home." _Please buy that last part_.

Weiss said nothing in response. Her face looked contemplative. For a moment, Rin thought he saw a pang of guilt on her, before she looked at him and spoke. "Uh, look, if Beacon doesn't work out for whatever reason, I...might be able get you a cooking job at the Schnee manor in the future."

"If it ever comes down to it, and I'm still here," _-and not back home-_ "I might take you up on that."

"Well, here's my destination." Weiss stopped in front of one of the dorm rooms. She turned around on her foot, and then bowed in front of him. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Uh, likewise."

Rin walked toward his room, until he stopped halfway. "Hey, it looks like we're neighbors."

"That's nice-" Weiss paused. Her eyes traced a path between her room and his. " **You!** "

"Me?"

"You're the inconsiderate philistine from down the hall."

"...who the heck uses philistine as an insult?"

"Weiss," drawled a voice from behind her door. The door opened to reveal Ruby, rubbing her eyes and walking out in her sleepwear. "Why are yelling so loud-Rin!"

"Ruby?" Rin said.

"You two know each other?" Weiss said.

"Uh, I may have headbutt him trying to rush into the dining hall-"

"Never mind, not important. He's the one kept us up last night!"

"One," said a blonde girl popping out out the dorm room, "you're the only one who cares, Ice Queen."

"I shouldn't be. And stop calling me that!" Weiss said.

"And two, the only person keeping us all up right now is you," the girl said. She turned to Rin. "I'm Yang, by the way." She winked.

"I-I'm Rin," Rin said. Yang had lilac eyes, long flowing blonde hair, and- _oh god why did he look down_.

"See something you like?" Said Yang, who looked like she was barely containing a laugh.

"How unsurprising," Weiss said.

"Jealous?" Yang said.

"I am not!" Weiss said.

While the two started arguing, Ruby stepped forward. "Uh, Rin? Why are you over here?" Ruby said.

Her words knocked him out of his stupor. "Oh yeah. I live down the hall. Looks like we're neighbors."

Ruby looked at the argument between Yang and Weiss. "So, does that mean I sneak into your dorm when Weiss is being...Weiss?"

Rin chuckled. "Sure."

"Would all of you shut up!" Yelled a student from inside their room nearby.

"I think that's our cue to leave," Rin said.

"I agree," Ruby said.

"Night everyone," Rin said.

"Wait!" Weiss said.

Rin turned back around, only to get smacked in the face by a pamphlet. He grabbed it and turned it over. "Dust for Dummies and other Inadequate Individuals?"

"Read that, and the two of us will avoid any...unwanted incidents in the future." Weiss eyed Ruby, who gave a nervous laugh.

After Weiss, Ruby, and Yang turned in for the night, Rin was lying on his cot, thinking back to his and Weiss' earlier conversation. _All my interviews ended terrible except for Ozpin's. And the only difference there was when I brought out Kurikara_. Rin turned to his side. _Does he know?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be futile, but I'm aiming for the next chapter to be released between October 25th-28th.


End file.
